My Salvation
by Audrey Julianne
Summary: Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs? Full summary inside
1. Beginnings

_A/N: This story takes place during Marauder Era. It starts out in Marlene's first year, which I'm saying is the marauder's second year. The story revolves around Marlene and one other character who will later become apparent. The story is based off my Marlene McKinnon roleplay character and many of the characters are credited to how they are played by the people I roleplay with. Once I introduce the characters I will give proper credit. Constructive reviews are encouraged, but don't tell me I'm writing anything wrong. For the most part I will follow canon, but I may change things up a little. I will let you know what's different from canon at any point that I do. Also, for a visual picture of Marlene, I use Hayden Panettiere pictures for her._

_Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality._

**Chapter One: Beginnings**

"Marlene Lorraine McKinnon!" the eleven year old heard a yell up the stairs. She groaned and turned back over in her bed, her blonde hair falling over her face. What time was it anyway? Why on earth were they waking her up at this ungodly hour? The sun was barely even up yet. She pushed the covers down and hugged her pillow closer to her as she tried to fall back to sleep. Unfortunately the early September weather was still too hot.

Wait. Early September? That was it! That was why they were waking her up. It was September first, her first day at her new school. Just as she heard knocking on the door she hopped out of bed, pushing the same blonde curls out of her face. "Coming mum!" she called through the door as she ran to her dresser to find a new outfit.

She was very excited about starting her new school. It would be the first time she would be introduced to other people like her, outside of her family, of course. So what sort of person was she? She was a witch. She was going to be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry just like her uncle and her father had. To top it all off, her cousin would be joining her at the school. She just knew they would both be sorted into Ravenclaw together. Both of their fathers had been in Ravenclaw, it was sure to become a family tradition. After all, Marlene was about as studious as her father. She was considered a geek by some people. She always had her schoolwork done on time and her spare time she could be found reading, often on a hill not far from the McKinnon property.

She loved that hill. The only person who knew about the hill beside herself, or how important the hill was to her anyway, was her brother. The hilltop couldn't be easily seen from her house, but on top of the hill she could see all of the surrounding area. She absolutely loved it! Granted a British neighborhood wasn't the most ideal view, but she felt like she was on top of the world looking down over the neighborhood. To sit by a tree on the hilltop and read was like paradise.

She ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. At the bottom she saw her little brother, Brendon. That was the bad part of leaving. Brendon McKinnon wouldn't be joining her at Hogwarts until the next year. The two siblings were close, but Brendon wasn't nearly as social as Marlene was. Actually, he wasn't at all. The only people he was nice to was his family, mostly Marlene and their cousin Libby. He didn't feel like he fit in the family where their parents were concerned. He often felt like he failed their parents though Marlene didn't get why.

She gave her brother a hug as she heard the doorbell ring. "That's Libby!" she exclaimed as she ran to the door. Marla and Liam watched their excited daughter as she ran toward the door. Liam loved seeing the excitement in the girl's eyes. It mirrored the same excitement he had had when he started his first year at the same school. He placed his arm around his wife as Marlene returned with Libby; Marla's twin sister, Macey and Liam's best friend from school, Jonathan Colson.

"Elisabeth, Marlene, we need to talk to you before we go to the station," Liam told the girls. He took one glance at Marla. He hadn't prepared his wife for this talk. He had never actually let the bad parts of the wizarding world on to his wife. He was too scared she would leave him and try to take Marlene and Brendon away from him. One more look at Macey told her Jonathan shared his sentiments. "Not everyone in the wizarding world is so nice. You've had contact with a limited amount of people up to this point and you're about to meet many different kinds of people, including the sons and daughters of those who use their magic for bad."

He didn't want to have to warn their children about this, but he was afraid of what sort of crowds the two girls might fall into if they weren't forewarned. He wasn't going to see them for basically a whole term and he wanted to make sure they came back the sweet little girls they left as. It wouldn't bother him much, but he knew the Black family had kids attending the school. That was what bothered him. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the thought of his little girls running around with the likes of them.

He wasn't a judgmental man by far, but it stood to reason children raised in that sort of family would know nothing but the ideals they were taught. Not that it was their fault, it was their parents fault. It was possible, of course, that the kids could intermingle with people they're not familiar with and change just like his own daughter could. He only hoped that Marlene and Elisabeth wouldn't. That was why he wanted to warn them. "Other than that, there are some wonderful people in the wizarding world. You will both have the pleasure of studying under Albus Dumbledore. He's a wonderful wizard and I'm sure you will both grow to love him."

He paused for a moment and looked over both of the girls faces and even over to Brendon. He would more than likely be joining the girls the following year and if he only had to give this speech once, it was okay by him. Elisabeth took this opportunity to put her own two cents in. "Can we go now?" she asked him bluntly.

He wasn't sure how to respond to his niece's question. He glanced up at Jonathan then back at Elisabeth before nodding slightly. It probably wouldn't do any harm to get started now. They still had to pack up Marlene's things before taking the drive to the station. Since they had two underage witches plus an underage wizard and two muggles with them it stood to reason driving to King's Cross Station was better than some of the other wizarding forms of transportation.

After packing Marlene's things in the back of the van with Elisabeth's, the two families piled into the Colson family van and began their way toward the station. By the time they got there, one glance at the clock told them they got there in good time. The two men led the way toward the correct platform. Since their muggle wives and young children had never come here before, they were the ones not only in charge of getting the family to the platform, but teaching them how to get on it as well. It was rather tricky.

Once they reached the barrier between platforms nine and ten, Liam turned back to the family. "Here we are, platform nine and three-quarters." He was met by confused looks from Marla, Macey and Marlene; a glare from Brendon and a sarcastic look from Elisabeth. None of them quite seemed to understand what he was saying. He turned to Jonathan. "Would you like to show them?" he asked his brother-in-law.

Jonathan nodded and took the first of the school trunks and walked toward the barrier, walking straight through. None of the family members knew quite what to say to that. Marla and Macey had both seen some interesting things since marrying into wizarding families. Marlene, Elisabeth and Brendon had grown up in a wizarding family, but they hadn't quite seen anything like that.

"The girls next," Liam said as he ushered Marlene and Elisabeth toward the barrier. He explained how to walk through, then watched them as they did so. Once on the other side, Marlene watched in awe. This was an amazing sight. Seeing the steam engine before her, she looked around at the rest of the sight. So many kids from their age and up were walking toward the train. Some closer to their age were tearfully saying goodbyes to their parents and younger siblings while the older ones obviously couldn't wait to get away.

Marlene turned back to the barrier just in time to see Brendon and their other walk through, followed by her father and her Aunt Macey. She turned back toward Elisabeth with a wide grin on her face, but her grin faded when she noticed her cousin was missing. She looked back at the others. "Where did Libby go?" she asked them.

"She already went on the train," her uncle Jonathan told her. She bit her lip glancing back at the train. Among all the students that were there it was going to be hard to tell where Elisabeth went. She looked all around for another blonde head, but couldn't see one. She sighed and turned back to her parents.

"You better go ahead and get on the train, Mar," Liam told her. "That way you know you can find a seat." He was met with a nod as the girl walked over to him and gave him a hug. Next she gave her mother a hug, then walked over to Brendon.

"I'll save you a spot at the Ravenclaw table for next year," she told her brother as she hugged him. She hated leaving Brendon. She wished she could take him with her, but she knew she couldn't. Brendon had to stay with their parents this year. Next year, however, she knew she would have her brother right along with her. It was something she looked forward to.

She walked away from her family a few steps, then turned back to them and gave them all one final wave before turning back to the train and stepping into one of the cars. As she walked, keeping her eyes peeled for a certain blonde head, she felt herself bump into something. Knowing immediately it was a person from the way it moved, she turned to apologize, smiling sincerely at him, she noticed it was a boy her age. If not in her year maybe a year or so older. "I'm sor-" she started, but was cut off.

"Watch it, mudblood," came the reply as he stormed off in the other direction.

_A/N: And here ends the first chapter. I have no clue how long it's going to be and if it's going to be a one parter or a multi-parter. I just randomly got the idea to write the fic. So who is the boy? I'm just curious to see if anyone gets it right. I don't really have anything for those who do, but if you already know - you know who you are - and you say anything, I'll have Karla send Sylar after you! Also, a fair warning, I'm not sure how often this will get updated for a while, but keep watching for updates because I will definitely try to keep updating it when I can._

_Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris._


	2. Train Rides and Sorting Hats

_A/N: And here begins chapter two. In this chapter you will find out who the boy is as well as what house(s) Marlene and Libby are sorted in. Will they actually be in the same house as Marlene expects? You will find out soon enough. I can promise you updates won't keep coming daily. As a matter of fact, they may stop for a month or more soon but I will be returning eventually and might even have a lot more of the story done when I come back. Keep checking for updates and please review!_

_Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality._

_Reviews:_

_**magikspells:**__ I do hope you know who it is, after all the story is my present to you. I'm glad to see you love it and hope you love the rest just as much._

_**ANGELofMUSICval: **__Oooh intrigued? lol I like that word. Ask Karla how many times Clara has used that word referring to Sylar. Anyway, back on the subject of this story and off the hot brain stealing psycho killer... I hope you like the rest of the story._

**Chapter Two: Train Rides and Sorting Hats**

Marlene watched in shock and confusion as the boy walked off. She had been about to apologize, but he didn't even give her that chance before calling her a name. What was a mudblood anyway? She may have grown up in a wizarding family, but that was one thing for sure that she wasn't familiar with. She made a mental note to find out what it meant later on. She figured it had something to do with wizarding blood. She was a half-blood because her mother was a muggle and her father was a wizard. She knew the different types of wizarding blood lines, but she was pretty sure she'd never heard that term before. Was she even whatever it was? He didn't know her. He certainly couldn't know she was half-blood.

He had been out of sight for a while, but Marlene watched the door he disappeared through for the longest time before someone else pushed her out of the way. She snapped out of her daze. "Sorry," she muttered and walked into the nearest compartment she could find. There were a couple of other people in there, but she didn't pay much attention to them. She couldn't get her mind off the boy. Who was he? Why had he called her that? What did he mean? Those same questions ran over and over through her mind. She was unconsciously aware that the train was now moving. She was on her way to Hogwarts, but the excitement wasn't exactly there anymore.

"Are you alright?" came a girl's voice. Marlene turned her head slightly to look at the other three girls in the compartment. She was sitting next to a blonde and across from a redhead. The redhead was sitting next to a brunette. The redhead was the one who asked. She blinked slightly trying to figure out what was even on her mind. Why did the boy even bother her that much? There was something about him she just couldn't shake. Was he the type of wizard her father had warned her about? She pursed her lips gently and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she answered the redhead. "I'm sorry if I was interrupting anything..." The girls looked to be close to her age, maybe a little older. They didn't look as confused or lost as most of the first years she had seen. She figured they were at least second years and probably all knew one another from already attending Hogwarts together.

"No, you're fine," the blonde replied. "I know the feeling of coming here and feeling lost." Both of the other girls looked at the blonde in shock. She rarely ever spoke around other people. It had taken the better part of the last year to get her to talk to them in the dorm if another roommate was there. Finally the girls all turned their attention back to Marlene.

"I'm Lily," the redhead said, introducuing herself. "You're a first year, aren't you?"

Marlene nodded slightly in response to Lily's question. Of course it was obvious. She had probably completely embarrassed herself. She was sure they were laughing inwardly. They'd probably start laughing their heads off as soon as they were off the train. "Yeah, I am," she answered. "I'm Marlene."

"It's nice to meet you, Marlene," Lily answered with what seemed to be a sincere smile. "This is Alice," she added nodding toward the brunette, "and that's Cosette. We're all second year Gryffindors."

Marlene was familiar with the names of the houses, but didn't know much about any of them. Except Ravenclaw. Her father and uncle had told her all about Ravenclaw. She knew the founder's name, the qualities most Ravenclaws possessed as well as the house colors and mascot. She had even seen the Ravenclaw crest. The other houses, however, she didn't know as much about. "I'm going to be in Ravenclaw," she answered with a shrug. "Well, I hope, at least. My dad was in Ravenclaw."

Lily nodded when Marlene told her what house she thought she was going to be in. When Lily came to Hogwarts, she was unfamiliar with most of the wizarding world, so she didn't know much about the houses. She knew quite a bit more now. She was in Gryffindor because she was brave. She figured that must mean Marlene was smart because Ravenclaws were very smart. Of course Ravenclaws weren't the only smart students. Lily was smart as well, but her Gryffindor traits were stronger. She wondered what Marlene's strongest traits really were. "So you're from a wizarding family then?" she asked, curiously. "I'm muggleborn and I didn't know about the houses until I got there."

Marlene's thoughts travelled back to the boy. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she just couldn't get him off her mind. She shook the thought when she realized Lily had asked her a question. She sat there a moment trying to let the question sink in, then she nodded. "I'm half-blood," she answered the girl. "My mum is a muggle, but my dad is a wizard. He was in Ravenclaw."

Lily noticed the girl had spaced out somewhat. She tilted her head watching the girl wondering what was on her mind. She had only met her, of course, so she figured it would be rude to actually ask her. She shrugged the thought and nodded. "So is that why you want to be in Ravenclaw?" she asked her, "because your dad was?" Before giving Marlene a chance to respond, she decided to go ahead and ask. The worst that could happen was that Marlene could tell her she didn't want to talk about it.

Marlene nodded again when Lily asked if she wanted to be in Ravenclaw because of her dad. That wasn't all though, she truly felt she possessed the qualities Rowena Ravenclaw prized in her students. She wanted to make her father proud by following in his footsteps and she was sure she would. "Yeah, it is," she answered. "I think I would fit there best anyway though." When Lily asked what was on her mind, she bit her lip gently. Being from a wizarding family, she felt dumb for not knowing what a mudblood was. After a moment, she looked at the girl curiously wondering if she would even know. "What's a mudblood?"

Lily raised her eyebrows at the question. She had been called that many times in the past year. She didn't know what it was at first either. It had actually been Alice who explained it's meaning to her. Alice and Cosette both looked at the girl when she asked the question. They had both known the meaning of the word for a while now. It seemed almost strange hearing the question from a girl who, like them, had grown up around magic. "Why do you ask?" Lily asked finally.

Marlene noticed the looks she got from all three girls and bit her lip gently. She was suddenly very embarrassed about being called something she didn't even know what it was. She looked down at the floor of the compartment, then back at the girls. "I was just called one," she answered. "I was looking for my cousin and not exactly paying attention to where I was going and I bumped into a boy. Before I even had a chance to apologize, he called me a mudblood."

Lily had never heard of a half-blood being called a mudblood before. It was almost exclusively used for muggleborns. She could see how it might apply to a half-blood to any purebloods though. Most of the purebloods were extremely uppity about blood lines. If a person wasn't of pure wizarding blood they weren't good enough. "It's typically a term used for muggleborns. It's a rather negative term, meaning dirty blood."

Marlene was confused by this answer. She wasn't muggleborn. She was half-blood. So why did he call her something that was used for muggleborns? That went back to him not knowing anything about her. He obviously didn't know that she wasn't a muggleborn witch. "But I'm not muggleborn," she said confused.

"It doesn't matter to some people," Alice explained. "Some people think your blood is dirty even if you're half-blood because it's not pure. I wouldn't doubt he's a Slytherin and likely related to the Black family." Lily and Cosette both nodded in agreement, but Cosette looked down immediately afterward.

Marlene tilted her head slightly, then shrugged the thought, turning her head back to Alice. "Black family?" she asked her.

Alice couldn't honestly believe she was sitting there talking to a girl who grew up with magic and didn't know about the Black family. She blinked a couple of times and looked from Lily to Cosette and back. Even Cosette who had grown up in France knew about the Black family. She shook her head slightly and looked back at Marlene. "The Black family is the oldest pureblood wizarding family in Britain," she answered Marlene matter-of-factly. "They're bad news. Well, most of them. Sirius Black is in Gryffindor with us and he's not bad. A prankster, but he doesn't practice dark magic like the rest."

Marlene listened to Alice intently. It was becoming apparent that her father and uncle Jonathan had sheltered them greatly. She blinked when Alice told her that the Black family practiced dark magic. Was it possible she had actually literally bumped into one of the people her father warned her about? She shuddered slightly at the thought. "I don't know the boy's name. He was just really rude to me."

_Hours later..._

Marlene got off the train with her three new friends. Lily pointed in the direction of a tall man who was calling the first years over to him. "He'll take you where you need to be," she told Marlene as the other three girls began walking off with the older students. Marlene nodded and made her way in the direction of the man. She could already tell this was going to be an interesting experience.

She had yet to find Libby and the boy was still on her mind. She wasn't sure what it was about him, but something was plagueing her mind. She shook the thought and got into one of the boats with a couple of other students. Once again she was too lost in her own thoughts to pay any attention to who she was with. Thankfully these people didn't talk to her. She didn't mind that Lily, Alice and Cosette had talked to her, but now she was overwhelmed by the information she received from them. There were thoughts running all through her head and she couldn't help but wonder if this boy really was a member of this Black family they told her about and if he was, was he one of the people her father had warned her about?

Before she had any more time to think about it, the boat was on the other side of the lake and the first years were all walking across the lawn toward the castle that was looming before them. She got out of the boat and looked up at the castle in awe. This was amazing. Surely as big as the castle was, she wouldn't have to worry about running into Mr. Potential Black anyway. She shrugged and started walking the rest of her new classmates, all still following the large man with the booming voice.

Once they were inside the castle, a woman said she would take over and the man left. The first years followed the woman into the Great Hall and Marlene looked at the tables. All of the older students were already seated and watching them walk in. She swallowed slightly wishing in vain that she could find Libby somewhere. This whole thing was a whole lot less daunting when she and Libby were planning everything together. She bit her lip gently and listened as the woman explained what was going to happen.

The woman began listing off students names and they sat down on the stool in front of everyone as she set an old hat on their heads. The hat would then shout the name of the house the student belonged in. The first several names went by in a blur, but one name stuck out in her mind. "Regulus Black!" the woman called. Marlene immediately recognized the name Black from what Alice told her. She watched as Regulus stepped forward and her mouth dropped open in shock. It was him! It was the boy who called her a mudblood. She didn't see or hear anything else for a while as she watched the boy.

She watched the hat begin to descend on Regulus' head. "SLYTHERIN!" the hat called almost immediately. She watched the boy beam with pride as he hopped off the stool and joined the people at a table of cheering students. Her eyes remained on the table for quite a while as she watched them. They didn't look like the most friendly bunch, but then again, Regulus wasn't exactly friendly either. She shook the thought about the time she heard another familiar voice.

"Elisabeth Colson!" came the woman's voice again. Marlene perked up instantly as she watched a blonde head move toward the front. She smiled at her cousin and gave her a wave. Libby waved back as the woman began to set the hat on Libby's head.

The hat seemed to think for just a moment, unlike with Regulus the hat rested on Libby's head for a bit before it shouted. "SLYTHERIN!"

Marlene gaped in shock as she watched her beloved cousin hop off the stool and join the same table Regulus was sitting at. Slytherin? How could one of Marlene's relatives be in Slytherin? Ravenclaw ran in the family. Libby was smart. Why was she in Slytherin. She sighed dejected knowing she would never end up in the same house as Libby now. Not that she wanted to be in Slytherin. She wanted Libby to be in Ravenclaw.

Her eyes moved a little down the table to the boy Regulus again. Libby was nothing like him. How was she in the same house he was? This didn't make any sense. She blinked back tears, thinking she might lose her cousin to the dark arts. How could this be happening? The lady finished off the C's without Marlene paying any mind. On to the D's, E's, etc...

"Is Marlene McKinnon here?" the woman asked. Marlene snapped out of her daze. The woman seemed annoyed. How long had she been calling Marlene's name? She shook the thought and walked unsteadily to the stool to take a seat. She looked out over the tables and saw Lily and Alice waving at her. Cosette sat across from them and offered her a smile. Marlene could barely see it, but it was enough to make her smile, even a little. She felt the hat descend on her head. "RAVENCLAW!"

She saw the students from one table stand and begin cheering. Cheers came from Lily and Alice as well. Even though they weren't in her house, they were glad that the girl got into the house she wanted. She hopped off the stool and joined the students of her new house. So maybe she and Libby were split, but right now she had all these new people welcoming her. This wouldn't be so bad, would it?

_A/N: Another chapter down. Yes, the boy was Regulus Black. Will the two see past their differences? Will they even meet again? Will the two cousins being split cause a rift between them? Will Marlene see her Gryffindor friends again? Will she make friends in Ravenclaw? So many questions this chapter. Now that the name of the boy is out, I'm going to be changing the second character in the story to Regulus, I just didn't want to give it away too soon. For a visual of Regulus, the person who plays my Marlene's Regulus uses pics of Thomas Dekker._

_Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris._

_Cosette Myriel is credited to my friend Lissa_

_This version of Regulus Black is credited to Karla, the name and character are, of course credited to JK Rowling._


	3. Charms with Slytherin

_A/N: Here's yet another chapter. Here we will meet a couple of other Ravenclaws and learn a little more about Marlene. We will also see what happens when Marlene and Regulus meet again. Ravenclaw and Slytherin in the same class together can't be a good thing, right?  
_

_Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality._

_No Reviews_

**Chapter Three**

_Flashback_:

_It was a warm July day and Marlene was sitting with her two best friends from school Taylor and Anna. They were all eleven and now looking into the secondary schools they would be attending. Of course Marlene knew exactly where she was going, but she couldn't tell her friends. She hated lying, but this was something that had to be kept secret._

_"Where are you going to school, Marlene?" Marlene's best friend Taylor asked her._

_Marlene bit her lower lip gently. This was the bad part about having muggle friends. She was going to have to make up some lie about where she was going to school. Most of them were going to the local secondary school, so she couldn't say she was going there. "Some school in America," she told Taylor. "I can't really remember the name." Of course that was because Marlene didn't know the names of any schools in America. It was just a cover to keep her friends from finding out where she was really going._

_A thud hit the window and Anna looked at the window quickly. "What was that?" she asked the other two girls._

_Taylor shrugged. "It looked like an owl, but you don't see owls this time of day."_

_You did in the McKinnon home, of course. Marlene feigned a look of confusion and ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She knew she should be receiving her Hogwarts letter any day now and she couldn't wait to get it._

_"Marlene!" she heard a voice in the kitchen. She stopped running and walked to the kitchen._

_"Yes, dad?" she asked as she joined him at the counter._

_"This is for you," he answered her, holding an envelope._

_She took the envelope from her father's hands and ran her fingers across the seal on the back. She smiled softly knowing exactly what it was. She opened it quickly and pulled out the parchment inside. After reading the letter, she let out a squeal of excitement. "I'm going to Hogwarts!" she exclaimed. Of course she had always known she would get in. She had always done well with her magic. It wasn't real to her, however, until she was holding the letter in her hand. "When can we go to Diagon Alley to get my things?"_

_"This weekend, most likely," her father answered her. "We'll take Elisabeth too."_

_Marlene smiled brightly and hugged the letter tightly running back up the stairs to her friends._

_End Flashback_

As Marlene finished telling her story, she watched the other girls. Each of the Ravenclaw first years were telling the stories of how they got their Hogwarts letters. They figured it was a good getting to know one another activity as well as a nice start to the term. Classes would begin the next day and, of course, the girls would be having all the same classes together.

"An American school?" Hestia asked, letting out a small laugh. That was definitely an excuse she hadn't considered telling her own muggle friends. She had just skirted the subject for the longest time saying she wasn't sure.

Marlene shrugged. It had really been the first thing that came to her mind. She had always wanted to travel to America. To see what it was like. So it stood to reason to just use that as an excuse. Of course she had yet to go over to America, but she just knew one day she would. "It was sort of on the spot," she replied, tucking a piece of her curly blonde hair behind her ear. "I wasn't really sure what to say."

"It must have been hard lying to your muggle friends," Janey Thoms pointed out. She was a muggleborn witch and had just finished telling her own story about receiving her Hogwarts letter before Marlene went. She had been shocked, to say the least. She had no idea she had any magical ability and since her parents knew nothing of the magical world, she hadn't been raised around it.

"It was," Marlene replied with a nod. "I really hate lying to people, especially my closest friends, but what could I do? I'm only so thankful my window was closed and the owl hadn't actually flown into my room. That would have certainly called for disaster. The way it was, I was able to convince Taylor she was seeing things."

The girls continued talking for a while, but Marlene's mind started drifting again. It seemed crazy to keep thinking about this Regulus Black. He was rude and simply the sort of person Marlene just knew she'd never be able to get along with. There was still something about him. Something he was trying to hide, or maybe he wasn't even sure was there. Marlene was intuitive, if anything. She had her way of reading people. She couldn't really tell what it was with the short encounter the two had though. She tried to shake the thought and turned her attention back to the girls. "Do you think we'll have any classes with Slytherins?" She sighed inwardly after asking her question. _Nice job of forgetting about it, Mar,_ she thought silently as she waited for the girl's answers.

"Why do you ask?" Hestia asked her. She rather hoped they wouldn't have classes with Slytherins. They didn't exactly seem like a nice bunch. Her older sister said they would have classes with all of the other houses at different times. She was sure that meant she'd have to deal with the Slytherins eventually. "My sister said we have classes with each of the houses though."

Marlene bit her lip gently, quickly trying to come up with an excuse just as she had when Taylor asked where she was going for secondary school. This time she didn't have to lie, just leave out something "Oh, my cousin was sorted into Slytherin. We had the idea of being in the same house, so it's sort of disheartening that I may not see her."

Hestia nodded sympathetically. Her sister was in Gryffindor and older than she was. She was bound to see her sister rarely, she wouldn't even have classes with the girl. At least Marlene would have that, however little it may happen. "I'm sure we will. I can certainly think of one class I'd rather not have with them though."

Marlene tilted her head curiously. She could tell Hestia wasn't fond of the Slytherins and she could see why. Still, her cousin was in that house, which meant they couldn't be all bad. After all, she knew Libby better than anyone else here. Libby wasn't bad by any stretch. "Oh? What class is that?"

"Flying," Hestia answered with a slight shudder. She couldn't imagine flying in the air with Slytherins around and she knew how to fly. She glanced over at Janey who undoubtedly hadn't flown yet. It would be torture on her.

"I'm not worried," Marlene answered with a shrug. The fact was, Marlene was pretty good on a broom. Her father had taught them when they were old enough to sit on a broom and after that he taught them quidditch. Libby hadn't really liked the game, but both Marlene and Brendon had caught on well. Marlene was a great chaser. "I'm already a pretty experienced flyer."

Janey brightened. That was one subject she was looking forward to taking. Flying lessons. Hestia was right in assuming Janey had never flown before, but she was definitely excited about learning. "I don't really care who we have flying with, I just want to learn."

_The next day..._

Marlene walked into the Great Hall with Hestia and Janine. The three girls soon joined the other first years in their house and began talking about their first day of classes. They would soon get their schedules and most of them were rather excited. Of course, they were Ravenclaws, it was to be expected. Before long, Professor Flitwick walked along the table, handing out schedules to the Ravenclaw students. Marlene took hers and looked it over. Their first class was with the Slytherins. She wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing or a bad thing. At the very least she knew she'd be having her first class with Libby, but Regulus would be there too.

She ate breakfast in silence while the other first years chatted about their schedules. They had Charms then Potions and later on that day Flying. The only thing that really interested Marlene about the day was Flying. It wouldn't be until the next day when they had History that she would be really interested. Marlene was actually quite interested in History.

Her mind wasn't really on Charms, Potions, Flying or History right now though. Her mind was actually on Libby and Regulus. More Regulus, but she wasn't going to admit that to herself let alone anyone else. She silently finished eating her food and when the girls got up, she pushed herself up as well. She silently made her way to Charms hoping it would go a little better than she was expecting. The class was taught by her Head of House, Professor Flitwick. She didn't really expect favoritism though.

She walked into the classroom, looking around for her cousin. Libby wasn't there yet. Marlene sat with Hestia and Janine with Hestia in the middle and waited for the rest of the class to come in. She could only hope that Libby would be there in time to take the open seat next to Marlene. She sat there chattering with Hestia and Janine about what they might learn in the class, but she stopped when a blonde head walked into the room with a couple of other girls. Marlene smiled and waved at the girl, greeted by a wave in return. Even with Libby acknowledging Marlene, she didn't sit next to Marlene. She took a seat toward the back of the class where she and her friends could all sit. Marlene sighed softly and glanced down at her desk. Before long, every seat in the room was taken besides the seat next to Marlene. Class was about to begin, so more than likely everyone was in class already.

As Professor Flitwick stood at the front of the class, signifying that class would be starting in a minute, one more person walked into the room and scanned for an empty seat. His eyes fell on the empty seat next to Marlene, then to Marlene herself. He groaned audibly as he made his way toward the seat.

Marlene looked up at the sound and watched the boy walk over toward the seat next to her. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse than Libby not sitting next to her, it did. Regulus was forced to sit next to her and it seemed neither was too particularly happy about it.

"Stay out of my way, mudblood," Regulus hissed at her as he took his seat.

"You can't tell me what to do," Marlene countered. "And for your information, I'm _not_ muggleborn," she added in informing him of his incorrect assumption.

Actually, Regulus thought he could tell anyone what to do. He was a Black, after all. He was from the oldest and richest pureblood wizarding family in Britain. Yes, he could tell just about anyone what to do and this mudblood was no exception. He rolled his eyes at her counter and smirked over at her. "It doesn't matter," she said cooly. "You're not pureblood and that makes your blood dirty."

Marlene glanced at him in shock. How could anyone be so completely judgmental? He didn't even know her and he was judging her merely on the fact that she was half-blood. The nerve some people possessed. She only glared at him, wishing this class would just end.

_A/N: And there's another chapter. I promise it won't move this slow for long. I'm just trying to establish the characters and especially the relationship between Regulus and Marlene. Hopefully things will begin to pick up soon. Please keep checking for updates. __What is it that Marlene sees in Regulus? Is it really there? Or was it just a hope that he wasn't really as bad as he came off to be? Why can't she get him off her mind? Why did Libby choose to sit with her new friends instead of her cousin? Is their bond slowly breaking? _

_Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris._

_Cosette Myriel is credited to my friend Lissa_

_This version of Regulus Black is credited to Karla, the name and character are, of course credited to JK Rowling._


	4. The Worst Pairing

_A/N: Sorry for my extended absence. I am now offline but working on my stories. Once I regain internet access whether temporary or permanent I will update you on how often my updates may become. I'm hoping to get ahead enough that when my internet is back I can update weekly. Thank you for your patience during this time. I also apologize for this being the shortest chapter thus far. I think chapter five is pretty short too, but they do get longer.  
_

_Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality._

_No Reviews_

**Chapter Four: The Worst Pairing**

The Ravenclaw first years made their way down the stairs toward the common room. Niw a few weeks into the term, the girls were getting their schedules down. Luckily, most of their classes were shared with Hufflepuff. They did, however, have two with Slytherin. Those classes were Charms and History of Magic. The latter was where the girls were heading now. Except for sharinhg the class with Regulus Black and the admittedly boring professor, History of Magic was easily becoming Marlene's favorite class.

They would be starting Flying Lessons though and Marlene was sure that in the right conditions it could surpass History. That was if they shared the class witgh a respectable house and if the teacher wasn't monotone or boring in some other way. Marlene's first love would always be history - both muggle and magical - but she did have high hopes of making the Ravenclaw Quidditch team sometime during her school career.

Oh yes, back to History. As mentioned before, Marlene had always been fascinated by both magical and muggle history, though she was learning more about magical history than she had ever imagined. If Professor Binns was to have a favorite student, Marlene could easily be in the running. She was always jumping ahead of her class , exploring many different aspects of the subject and going above and beyond the call as a student. She wasn't a complete overachiever though. She liked to excell in all of her classes, but she only just excelled in most, but she was beginning to beyond excell in History.

This undoubtedly annoyed other students, namely Regulus. As if she really cared what he thought. He judged her before he even got to know her, just based on the fact she wasn't a pureblood. Honestly, she figured he would let up by now. He didn't. Of course it wasn't that he targeted her. Maybe he did. She couldn't really be sure. She did, however, notice that he displayed the same cocky attitude to many other students. Even some Slytherins.

The girls left the common room, chattering away. Marlene thought it might have been about how boring Professor Binns was. Her mind was elsewhere as usual. She was sure that by now most of her roommates thought of her as a space cadet or many even a bit of an airhead. Though she doubted the latter. Her Ravenclaw intelligence was quickly showing itself. "Honestly, I swear Marlene isn't even with us half the time."

Marlene jolted back to the here and now as she heard the voice of her best friend Hestia. "What was that?" she asked apologetically.

Hestia could only laugh. She was more than used to this sort of behavior by now. She wasn't exactly sure what had been on Marlene's mind all term, but she knew her friend couldn't always be that spaced out. "What's on your mind?" she asked her friend, already knowing the answer she would get.

Marlene merely shrugged. Of course she knew exactly what was on her mind, but how was she going to tell her friends that? She was thinking about Regulus and how cruelly he treated her. "I just miss my brother," she answered them lamely. She'd been missing her brother for nearly a month now. Of course that wasn't entirely a lie. A day didn't pass without Marlene thinking about her little brother and how he was doing.

Hestia gave Marlene a skeptical look and merely shook her head. She seriously doubted that her sister thought about her that much the previous year. Sure, she had missed her sister and she was sure the feeling had been mutual, but she didn't space out like Marlene had been doing. The girls walked into the classroom and took their seats. Marlene was still unable to get Regulus off her mind no matter how hard she tried to pay attention to her friends chattering. Once again, Marlene sat next to an empty seat in hopes that Libby would sit with her. So far this year, it hadn't happened.

Libby walked into the classroom among her group of Slytherin friends once again and Marlene sighed. She knew she couldn't really complain. She had her own friends after all. She just sort of wished Libby could take a little time for her as well. Hestia heard Marlene's sigh and looked up to see the blonde Slytherin and her friends sitting in the back. She frowned and glanced over at Marlene. She knew this routine well as it had occurred several times over the past few weeks.

Marlene tried even harder to lose herself in the girls' conversation and get her mind off Regulus, Libby and Brendon. She thought she was doing relatively well until a familiar groan came from the doorway. Since Marlene always madee sure there was an open seat for Libby in case she decided to grace Marlene with her presence and since Regulus was always one of the last in the room, he often had to sit next to her. Both of them hated it.

The one thing Marlene just couldn't understand, no matter how much she tried, was why Regulus was such a mean person. It really didn't even seem like the boy had friends, but if he did, she could imagine them being as mean as he was. Now that was a scary thought. She spent the class trying to pay attention to Professor Binns, but she found it hard to concentrate while being very much aware of the hard glares Regulus gave her. She still didn't get why he targeted her so much. That may very well be something she would never understand.

As the class wore on, she tried even harder to keep her focus off Regulus' glares and on the subject. She hated that she had to try so hard to focus on this class. If only they could have the class with another house. The Hufflepuffs, perhaps. Or even the Gryffindors. Either house would be better than suffering it with the Slytherins. Any student would be better than sitting next to Regulus.

Just when Marlene thought things couldn't get any worse, Professor Binns declided to assign partners for the next essay. No, that in itself wasn't bad. She found herself hoping she was assigned with either Libby or Hestia. As the professor began listing the pairs, however, it became apparent he was pairing them Ravenclaw to Slytherin. This meant that Marlene couldn't be paired with Hestia and from the sound of it, she had her doubts she'd be paired with Libby either.

"Black, you're with McKinnon," Binns declared in his normal monotone.

"What!?" she heard an outraged voice next to her. Of course he would be about as thrilled about this as she was.

Actually, Marlene was more worried about the grade she might make on the assignment than she was with being paired next to Mr. Personality. "Please, Professor," she pleaded, "I'd like a decent chance at a good mark on this assignment."

"And I would like to work with someone of worthy blood," Regulus added in.

The bad part for both Marlene and Regulus was that Professor Binns wasn't one to bargain. "That's final, Miss McKinnon and Mr. Black," he answered their pleas. "If you object further, you will serve detention and points will likely be taken from your houses."

Marlene looked over at Regulus with a hardened glare. This wasn't like Marlene. She was a nice girl, but she wasn't going to take any crap from this boy when her marks were on the line. "You better work harder on this project than you have ever worked before."

_A/N: Hmm... could Professor Binns see something the two don't yet see? Or could it just be unfair chance they were paired together? How will they do on the project? If they can even work together long enough to get it done, that is._

_Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris._

_Cosette Myriel is credited to my friend Lissa_

_This version of Regulus Black is credited to Karla, the name and character are, of course credited to JK Rowling._


	5. Everyone Needs Friends

_A/N: Okay now for the time being I should be uploading once a week. I'm still working on chapter nine, but I'm hoping to keep ahead... meaning I need to get finished with that chapter and so move on. lol  
_

_Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality._

_No Reviews_

**Chapter Five: Everyone Needs Friends**

Marlene made her way out of the common room along with Hestia and Janey. The three girls were heading out to the grounds earlier than any of the other first years from their house. As the three girls walked, Marlene caught yet another sympathetic glance from Hestia and knew immediately what was on her mind. Marlene was forced to work on a History of Magic project with the one person from the school she could honestly say she was beginning to loathe immensely. "Have you started your project yet?" Hestia asked, careful not to say the name of Marlene's partner. It was a very touchy subject these days.

"No, fortunately," she answered. She knew they needed to get started soon, but the idea of arguing with the boy for hours on end was all but appealing. Failing the project because she had to work with a lazy Slytherin was all but appealing. The only thing that was actually appealing was the fact that it was History. Why couldn't she have been paired with someone who at least could pretend to take an interest in the subject?

Janey could tell the subject suddenly turned bad and she knew by now Marlene loved flying. Coupled with Janey's excitement for learning to fly, she figured she knew the best subject change. "Wonder who we have lessons with," Janey said as she nodded ahead of them.

The three girls glanced down the stairs toward the double doors leading outside. Their view of the Entrance Hall showed several Slytherin first years coming out of the dungeons. "Oh no, please no..." Marlene said, her face beginning to pale.

What could possibly be worse than having to share her favorite subject with the Slytherins? The answer: having to share her favorite subject _and _her favorite sport with the Slytherins. Marlene watched in horror as the same Slytherins began exiting toward the grounds. Of course there was a chance they could have Herbology now, but Marlene wouldn't hold her hopes up.

As she and her friends walked out to where their flying lesson was, she saw just what a good thing that was. Just where the three girls were heading, the same group of Slytherins stood, seemingly waiting for their lesson as well. All of the Slytherin first years began to come into focus as the three girls drew nearer. _All _of them - including Regulus.

Marlene and her friends begudgingly joined the Slytherins while keeping their distance somewhat. There was just no way one of them would even attempt to socialize with Slytherins, let alone allow themselves to look as though they were.

Soon after, the other Ravenclaw first years joined them and not long afterward, their first flying lesson had begun. Marlene had to admit it started out quite boring. She knew how to mount a broom and even knew how to fly. She wanted to get straight to the flying, but she did realize that some of the students were entirely new to it. Janey was just one of the muggleborns in their class and there were even others who were of wizarding blood that had never flown before.

She noticed that many of the Slytherins were having the same problem she was with this lesson. The last thing she wanted to do was be able to identify with any Slytherins, especially Regulus who looked equally as bored.

Once they were able to start flying around somewhat, Marlene let herself enjoy the lesson. Flying without so many limitations would be better, but she kept in mind that people were still new to this. They had to all start at the beginning because some of the people in the class were just that. Beginners. She noticed Regulus and frowned. He was a pretty good flyer as well. She knew it was selfish, but she didn't want him to be good at something she was good at.

She gave a small sigh and steered the broom, closer to his. As much as she hated to talk to him, she needed to. She resolved to keep it brief. Very brief. She resolved to give him no choice or even a chance to argue. "Black. Meet me in the library at half past four," she told him coldly. "Don't be late," she added before flying away.

Marlene sat in the library and glanced at the clock. It was 4:46. She almost regretted not giving him a chance to answer. Had he denied her then, she could have found something better to do than wait for him to never even show. This way, however, she could go to Professor Binns and complain if he didn't show up. Surely he would be forgiving of her if her partner was a total loss.'

She silently decided to just leave if he didn't show by five. If she had to leave, of course, she was going straight to the professor. It simply wasn't fair for her to have to risk her marks for some Slytherin slacker. Especially one who couldn't tell time.

After waiting what seeemed like an eternity later, Marlene looked up to see someone taking a seat across from her. It was Regulus. She glanced down at her watch. 5:02. "You're late," she said irritably as she looked back up at him, expecting him to give her some lame excuse.

"So what?" Regulus shot back. He really didn't care about wasting anyone's time. Especially some mudblood's. She wasn't worth going out of his way to make sure he was there on time.

Marlene rolled her eyes and opened her textbook to the appropriate page, waiting for him to do the same. She honestly had to wonder why she was stuck in this situation. She could have been paired with any of the other Slytherins. Why him? Why the one she could stand the least? It was strange for Marlene to dislike someone, especially so strongly. She was usually so open and friendly, but she couldn't bring herself to being open and friendly to him.

The two discussed the project in as few words as possible, then silently began to work on their parts. After a while, she looked up at him and watched him as questions ran through her head. Why was he so horrible to people? Did he have any friends? If he did they were proably as mean as he was. She had to shudder at the thought. One Regulus was bad enough.

Eventually, curiosity got the best of her. "Why are you always so mean to people?" she asked him. "I mean perhaps you would make friends if..." she trailed off trying to find the best word. She was one to be open to speaking her mind, but she didn't want to come off as rude right now, "you were a little less judgmental."

Regulus looked up a moment, perplexed by her question. Why did she even care if he had friends? And he didn't see himself as judgmental. Just... right. "I don't need friends."

One thing Marlene was goof at besides flying and History was reading people. She noticed him father and took a moment to consider why. She was sure he needed friends. Everyone needed friends. She bit her lower lip gently for a moment as she carefully considered what to say next. "Of course you do," she said finally. "Everyone needs friends."

Perhaps it was true that everyone needed friends and he had some. Other _pureblood_ Slytherins. These were all the friends he ever cared to have or that he needed. They were the only ones worthy of his time. He glared over at her. "I have friends, thank you. I'm not desperate enough to befriend a mudblood."

Desperate? No way was Marlene implying that Regulus was desperate. She was just showing concern for the way he was acting and for the way he treated people. Surely if he did have friends, they weren't very good friends. They weren't the sort of friends who truly cared for a person. She couldn't let herself get mad though, even when he called her a mudblood yet again. If she was right, it would only make matters worse.

_A/N: So the two finally began working on their project, but it didn't start out very civil. Now Marlene is trying to be friendly and it's not being well recieved. Why is Regulus so adamant on being pushy? Will Marlene find a way to break past it? And what exactly is her hunch?_

_Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris._

_Cosette Myriel is credited to my friend Lissa_

_This version of Regulus Black is credited to Karla, the name and character are, of course credited to JK Rowling._


	6. Why Do You Care?

_A/N: Wow, it took me a while to post this one, but here it is. Enjoy. :)  
_

_Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality._

_No Reviews_

**Chapter Six: Why Do You Care?**

Ever since Marlene made her realization about Regulus, she found it hard to hate him. _His_ opinion of her hadn't changed in the slightest, but she hoped to change that. The thing was, her bloodline would always be the same. Could she possibly help him see past her family now that she was beginning to see past his?

She walked out of the Great Hall with her friends and began walking up the stairs with them. The girls chattered as they walked on and Marlene was planning to leave them she reached the library. "Any ideas of what we should do?" Hestia asked, running a hand through her dark hair as she looked from one girl to the other.

"I don't know about you two," Marlene answered, "but I have another torture session in the library." She made it sound as though she was dreading it, but really she didn't mind anymore. It would give her another chance to talk to Regulus and try to figure out how to break past the shell he had built around himself. She just wasn't sure what her friends would think of this, so she decided to keep quiet about it. For now.

Hestia shuddered and Marlene recieved sympathetic glances from both of her friends. Sure, they all had the same assignment and all of them were paired with Slytherins, but Marlene had it worse - much worse. This was, of course, what Hestia and Janey thought. They weren't aware that Marlene didn't think it was so bad after all.

When the girls reached the library, Marlene bid them farewell and walked inside. The other two continued on toward Ravenclaw Tower. Marlene walked over to the tables to find an empty one to sit at. She was surprised, however, to find Regulus already there. He was sitting at the table reading over what appeared to be his project notes. She blinked a couple of times before walking over to the table to sit across from him.

"What brings you here so early?" she asked him. Regulus was usually the last one in class and this was the first time he was on time for one of their study sessions, let alone there before her.

Regulus merely shrugged in response. He didn't want the mudblood to think he was actually warming up to her, nor did he want her - or anyone else, for that matter - to think he cared about his marks. "I had nothing better to do," he answered, not sure if he liked that answer either.

Marlene bit her tongue as a question popped into her mind about his so-called 'friends.' If she hoped to get him to see she cared, she figured she might need to keep her sarcastic remarks to a minimum. "Well, I'm not complaining," she answered nonchalantly. She pulled out her own notes and glanced over at him. "So where are we?" she asked him not caring entirely about the project. She cared, of course. Her marks were incredibly important to her, especially in this particular class. She just had to find a way to get Regulus to open up and she wasn't sure why, but she felt like that was a priority right now.

They discussed the project for a while and Marlene observed him. She watched his body language and facial expressions more than she listened to his words or tone of voice. He liked to come off as a spoiled rich kid, but Marlene was sure that she saw more than that. "So where are your friends?" she sked him. "I mean I never see you really hanging out with anyone."

This was true. Regulus didn't hang around others much and usually when he did, it was in the common room. He did have friends though. They were other wealthy purebloods worthy of his time. "I don't know and I don't care," he said giving her a look that plainly said that she shouldn't either.

She knew she probably shouldn't care but she couldn't help it. She was, by nature, a caring person. She saw a need in him and felt it was up to her to fill that need. If he would only let her. "I was just wondering," she responded with a shrug. "I still think you would feel better if you were nicer to people and had real friends. You know, ones who care about you and ones you care about in return."

Regulus had looked back down at his notes after giving her his look, but he looked b ack at her in disbelief after she spoke. Regulus Black actually care about anyone? The idea was completely ludicrous. "Why do you even care?" he asked her plainly. That was the question. He was completely rude to her - though he was convinced she deserved it. Yet now she was showing concern for him. No one had ever truly cared about Regulus and he was sure she didn't either. She had to have some ulterior motice.

"I don't know," Marlene admitted. She knew if she told him about her hunch he would think she was totally off her rocker. "I just do."

Regulus wasn't really sure about her response. If someone cared, wouldn't they know why? Did this serve to prove his suspicions? Or was he looking for something condemning - something that might not even be there. "Well you don't need to, and you shouldn't. Just forget about me and let's get on with this stupid project."

Marlene gave a dejected sigh and took his notes from his hand and began to read through them. She couldn't really keep her concentration though. Her mind was still working overtime trying to find a way to open up Regulus Black. There just had to be a way. The trouble was finding it. He had himself locked in so much that it was seemingly impossible to get him to break.

While Marlene was reading over his notes, Regulus took hers and tried to do the same. There were a few things he couldn't get past. She really looked and sounded disappointed when he brushed her off. Was it poseible she was being sincere? No, it wasn't possible. She had no reason to care and she didn't even try to argue when he pointed that out. If her not knowing why she cared didn't prove his suspicions, the fact she simply had no reason to do so did.

_A/N: Will Marlene McKinnon ever find a way to break Regulus Black's barriors and prove she really does care?_

_Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris._

_Cosette Myriel is credited to my friend Lissa_

_This version of Regulus Black is credited to Karla, the name and character are, of course credited to JK Rowling._


	7. The Only Thing I Know

_A/N:_

_Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality._

_No Reviews_

**Chapter Seven: The Only Thing I Know**

Marlene finally put the finishing touches on her part of the assignment. This was met with mixed feelings. Over the course of the few weeks that Marlene had been working with Regulus, she had started to actually like him as a person. That was hard to believe, even for her, but it was happening. Yes, Regulus was extremely arrogant and a judgmental rich spoiled brat, but she had a feeling that if only she could break through that, she could see another side of Regulus. A side he didn't want to show people. Maybe even a side he didn't know was there. The problem was convincing him she really cared.

It wasn't long after the two started working together that Marlene began to see it, a need for someone to really care. Basically, she believed Regulus' attitude was a cry for help. The need for attention so someone would actually notice him. She couldn't say this for sure, of course. She didn't know how he was raised. She didn't know anything about his family. She could just go by what she saw at school. It didn't really seem like Regulus cared much about anyone, even his supposed friends. Could it be possible he just didn't know how to care because he'd never seen it before?

She sighed and glanced down at her watch. She still had a while before she was to meet with Regulus for the last time. She pushed herself off her bed and gathered her notes, slipping them into her bag. After doing this, she walked over to the mirror and ran her fingers through her blonde curls. After a moment, she decided to pull her hair back into a ponytail and go downstairs. She wasn't sure where Hestia and Janey were but maybe she could find them. She was thinking of just going out by the lake. During her time there she had grown to love the lake. She had always loved lakes. There were a couple of spots by the Black Lake that were just really beautiful.

She grabbed her bag after pulling her hair through the scrunchie and walked out of the common room door and made her way down the stairs to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Seeing no one she really knew, she waved at a couple of older students and walked through the entrance to the common room that led to the rest of the school. Being in the towers, Ravenclaw was one of two dormitories that were all the way at the top of the castle and it meant going outside meant going from top to the bottom. It was a rather lenghty walk, but Hogwarts was an interesting school. Even having settled into her routine long before now, she liked walking through the corridors. There were almost always new sights and discoveries.

She made her way down the long trek toward the Entrance Hall and allowed her mind to wander to Regulus. She had spent a while now trying to convince Regulus he needed a friend. A friend who really cared. He wouldn't hear anything of it though. He was still so set in his own mind that he had the perfect life and since Marlene wasn't pureblood, he didn't want to associate with her. She wasn't sure why that really mattered. Was there a possibility he would explain his family life if she asked? No way. He was far too private a person. Yes he could be loud and boisterous, but talking about himself never seemed to happen.

She gave an outward sigh as she reached the Entrance Hall and crossed it toward the front double doors that would lead her to the grounds. At once when she opened the doors she was met with bright sunlight. She had been aware that the bright sunlight had been streaming in the tower windows, but it was so much more refreshing actually being out there. She stepped out and closed the heavy doors behind her then set off toward the lake.

She felt like today was her last chance at actually befriending Regulus. She had serious doubts that they would be teamed up together for another project anytime soon. She had a feeling this was important. So important that it needed to be done soon. She wasn't sure why she felt this sense of urgency with Regulus. Was there something she could save him from? That was absolutely ludicrous, of course. What would an eleven-year-old boy need to be saved from? She shook her head slightly and sighed.

"Hey Marlene," she heard a voice behind her. "Finding your way around the castle pretty well?"

She turned to see the person behind the voice and she saw three familiar girls. A blonde, a redhead and a brunette. The redhead had been the one who spoke. She gave a slight smile and nodded. It had taken a while to get used to the castle, but she was starting to at least. She wasn't sure she'd ever fully familiarize herself with it though. The staircases liked to change and sometimes she could swear the classrooms were even in different places. She was sure, however, that that was only the staircases and possibly the ghosts. Well, not the ghosts. Most of them were nice. There was a poltergeist who loved to turn the first years in the wrong directions though.

She noticed some boys join the three girls and one looked sort of familiar. They were all second year Gryffindors and she knew she didn't know them. If anything she might have seen them in passing, but one of them looked like he could be a relative of one of her classmates. A specific one of her classmates. She shook the thought and opened her mouth to answer Lily's question. "Well enough," she answered. "I'm not sure I'll ever know my way around entirely."

"Trust me, you won't," one of the boys piped up. She noticed Lily throw the boy a glare. It was one of those glares Marlene used to give Regulus. It was filled with pure annoyance and perhaps a bit of disgust. She bit her lip gently not really knowing whether or not she should answer the boys. She didn't know them and she was sure they weren't entirely welcome.

"That doesn't surprise me," she answered the boy with a shrug. Though whether or not she could figure the castle out fully wasn't really what was on her mind. It was Regulus and how strikingly similar this other boy looked to him. It wasn't the boy who spoke, it was another one. After a moment she realized she had been staring at the other boy for quite a while. She blinked slightly and looked away.

"I guess I should introduce the boys," Lily spoke finally. Marlene was relieved to hear that but it sounded as though Lily would really rather they just go away. She waited for the girl to give the introductions. "This is James Potter," she said with another spiteful glare. She was pointing to the boy who had told Marlene she wouldn't find her way around the castle entirely. "The one next to him is Sirius Black," she added.

_Black. _The last name stuck out in her mind. He was related to Regulus. She wasn't sure if he was a brother or a cousin or what. They could even be distantly related. She noticed that he didn't have the same glare that Regulus had, though he did carry himself with a bit of arrogance. He was associating with a muggleborn though. She shook the thought and allowed Lily to finish the introductions. "Then Remus Lupin, Frank Longbottom and Peter Pettegrew."

Marlene smiled politely and nodded to each boy as Lily said his name. Her mind was still stuck on Sirius Black though. She didn't realize it, but her eyes trailed back to him as her mind contemplated the relationship of this boy to Regulus. Maybe he would know his relative well enough to give her a little insight on breaking him. Though she wasn't entirely sure that would happen. "And this is Marlene," she heard, jolting herself back to reality.

She heard several different forms of 'it's nice to meet you, Marlene' or ' how are you liking the school?' She gave a slight shrug and returned the greetings. She actually loved the school and her classes, but she wasn't going to say that much. "I suppose I like it well enough," she answered. "I'm definitely meeting new people here."

"She seems to have a bit of interest in Sirius," James said with a smirk.

Marlene didn't get embarassed easily, she never had, but with these new boys she didn't want one of them to get the wrong idea. "No, no," she answered quickly. "I just know someone by that last name and you don't really seem that much like him."

Sirius knew immediately Marlene was talking about his brother. Who else would she be talking about? They were both in first year and Sirius and Regulus were the only boys at the school with that last name. All of their cousins were girls. Sirius merely gave a slight nod. "Yeah, that would be my brother, Regulus," he answered. "And we're not really alike... at all."

Marlene was almost surprised to hear that the two boys were brothers. She knew it made sense, of course. She was beginning to learn that the Black family was legendary and that there was only one. They were all related somehow, even if distantly. She figured for one to act the way he did and the other to act the exact opposite, however, they had to be pretty distantly related. She had a feeling the two boys didn't really get along. Even though Marlene and Brendon were quite different, they got along very well. "You don't like him, do you?" she asked him.

"Do you?" he asked pointedly. "He follows my parents ideals. The same ideals I'm against." His parents ideals. Her father had suggested there were witches and wizards who wouldn't be nice to people like her just because of their upbringing. As soon as she learned of the Black family and later learned that Regulus was a part of that family, she had been sure he was one of those people. Now she was even more sure. She wondered if her urge to save him was to save him from his family. Was that even possible? She didn't really need anyone who needed to be saved from their families.

"No," she answered quickly. "We're not exactly friends," she informed him.

"Bitter rivals is more like it," Marlene heard a voice behind her and saw her best friend behind her. She gave Hestia a small smile, then turned back to Sirius and nodded to confirm Hestia's words. That wasn't really the truth anymore, but since Marlene still wasn't telling anyone of her hunch, no one knew and no one was going to know what was really on Marlene's mind.

Sirius merely chuckled and nodded. He didn't really see his brother getting along with a Ravenclaw girl. He gave the other girl a smile and extended his hand to her. "Sirius," he introduced himself. He never really liked to use his last name if he could help it. A lot of people judged him based solely on that. It was truly awful being a part of a well known wealthy family. He didn't even like his family, but he was unfortunately still a part of it. "I'm not sure we've met."

"We haven't," Hestia confirmed, shaking his hand. "I'm Hestia."

The girls could still tell there was something on Marlene's mind, but they weren't sure how to ask her about it, especially with the boys around. Lily watched as Hestia and the boys introduced themselves to one another wondering if there was a way to pull Marlene off to the side. After a while, she shrugged the thought and allowed herself to return to the conversation where the boys were asking Hestia and Marlene about being in Ravenclaw.

"Do you like it?" James asked. "I mean, you guys are known for studying the most. That has got to be boring."

Lily shot James another glare. She may not be in Ravenclaw, but she loved studying and worked extremely hard to keep up her marks. She knew Cosette did as well. Alice worked hard, but not as hard as the other two. She fit more in with the pranksters that were now standing around them.

"Actually, I do," Marlene confirmed. She loved being smart and studious. She also loved being a part of a legacy since her father had been in Ravenclaw. "I've always loved to read and study...and my father was in Ravenclaw."

Hestia nodded that she, too, shared the same sentiments, then the group of people talked a while longer. Marlene tried to push her thoughts to the back of her mind, but they lingered. Lily could still tell something was on Marlene's mind. Maybe there would be a way to pull her to the side at some point. She pondered this as the group talked. Marlene might not even talk to her, they hadn't talked much since they met on the train. It was usually a wave or a 'hello' in passing. This was the first time in a while that she had had a chance to talk to Marlene.

After the conversation continued on, Marlene glanced down at her watch and blinked. She had a minute to make it up to the library. Since this was, in her mind, her last hope of convincing Regulus, she really hadn't wanted to be late. He had been showing up on time lately and she felt it was only right for her to do the same. Though that had never really been an issue. "I'm sorry to run, but I need to meet with someone," she said, forgetting to sound dejected about it.

Hestia glanced at Marlene quickly. She didn't sound like she was meeting Regulus, but she knew that Marlene had a little bit more to discuss with him before their final presentation the following day. She shrugged slightly and waved to Marlene deciding not to think about it too much. If she thought about Marlene's mind too much, she realized more and more that it was completely confusing.

"It was nice to meet you," some of the boys called. She waved back in agreement and walked off toward the castle to meet with Regulus.

She walked in to see him already sitting at their table. She stepped over to the table and watched as he glanced up at her. "You're late," he pointed out as she had each time before he started arriving on time. She nodded apologetically as she set her bag down and took a seat across from him.

"Sorry about that," she said in a tone to match her expression. "I sort of got sidetracked." She began pulling out her project notes and turned back to look at him. Each day that they met like this, she had expressed her concerns about his attitude. Her belief that he needed a friend. Now she had a little information to back up her belief, but she wasn't sure how he would react to her talking to his brother. If the two didn't get along, that didn't sound like an altogether good thing. She bit her lip gently and didn't realize she had been watching him for a while.

"Is there something you wanted to say?" he asked her after a while. She shook her head quickly then sighed softly and gave a slight nod. How was she ever going to help him if she kept quiet about her concerns? She took a deep breath and glanced back at him.

"I met your brother today," she said quickly, watching his expression. He didn't seem to like this thought, but it seemed mixed with a sort of curiosity about what that might have had to do with him. "He spoke somewhat of your family's ideals. It just got me to wondering... do you act the way you do because you want to? Or because you're forced to."

She almost expected him to say it was none of her business. Instead, to her horror, he began gathering his things and stood up. Instead of walking away immediately, however, he stood behind his now pushed in chair and watched her a moment, then he gestured with his hand for her to follow him. She blinked slightly, then shrugged and stood up not really sure where they were going. She put her project notes back in her bag and pushed her own chair in. "Where are we going?" she asked him.

He didn't answer, he just began walking out of the library. She followed him not really sure what it would look like. The two weren't friends and she was even more sure now than ever before that they never would be. Since he was leading her, it might more look as though she was following him against his will. Then again, several of their classmates knew they were paired together, maybe they would know this was just another of their study sessions. The ones Marlene's friends were still sure she completely hated. The ones Regulus still completely hated.

They walked down the stairs back to the Entrance Hall and he led her into the dungeons. She was really beginning to have her misgivings about this. The dungeons were dark and she was never down there unless it was for Professor Slughorn's Potions class. Still, curiosity got the better of her and she continued following him through the dungeons. They passed the corridor that led to Professor Slughorn's classroom and office and continued on past a few more corridors. Finally they reached another classroom and he stepped in, gesturing for her to hurry. She walked in and he closed the door behind her. The room immediately went pitch black without the illumination from the torches out in the corridor. "_Lumos_," she heard Regulus say and his wand lit up giving them a little bit of light, but still not what she was used to. She pulled out her own wand and did the same.

She watched as he set his things down on a desk and sat on another. She set her own things down on another desk and moved another desk to sit across from him and sat down. She wasn't really sure what she was going to hear down here. He wouldn't go through all of this to just tell her once again to mind her own business, would he? Then again, she had long ago learned not to question Regulus Black's mind. She had to honestly say she wasn't sure what he would do.

After sitting there in silence staring at one another for a while, Regulus finally began to speak. "First off," he began. "This is still really none of your business." Marlene opened her mouth to speak, but he raised his hand to silence her. She knew it wasn't technically her business, but she wanted to make it her business. She wanted to be his friend. She still couldn't really be sure as to why she wanted that, other than a hunch. "Second off, my brother and I don't get along," he continued. Marlene knew this. Sirius had pointed out just that same thing. Still she remained silent. "Why do I act the way I do?" he finally repeated the question she asked in the library. "Because it's the only thing I know. It's what I was raised around."

Admitting that had been difficult for Regulus. He thought he wanted to act the way he did, but now he wasn't so sure. Basically, the people he was exposed to at Hogwarts had thrown him through a loop. He was confused. He was even more confused as to why Marlene even cared. Of all the people he was mean to, she probably got the worst end of it because she kept getting thrown into his path. Was there a possible reason for that? Were they supposed to meet for some reason? No, that was crazy. He sighed and watched her, waiting for her to respond.

The only thing he knew. Now did that sound familiar or what? Marlene loved her family and she loved the way she was raised, but in all honesty she wasn't prepared for Hogwarts. She had grown up only knowing one thing. Her family was loving. Her family was caring. She assumed all families were like that. Was she now involving herself in the life of someone who knew the exact opposite? She bit her lower lip gently as she turned the thought over and over in her head. After a moment she looked up at him and noticed he seemed to be waiting for her to speak. She pursed her lips together gently not sure what she was supposed to say. "The only thing you know is how to be an arrogant spoiled brat?" she asked him. She wasn't trying to insult him. That was simply the way he acted.

"Basically," Regulus confirmed. Was he really going to get into the details of his family with this mudblood girl? He sighed inwardly. If he was going to be talking to her like this, he needed to stop thinking that about her. Not that it made it any less true. She would never be pureblood. She would always have dirty blood. But, perhaps he was willing to admit that wasn't her fault. That all depended on where this went. If she ended up mocking him or using him, he would see that she really was no better than anyone else in his life. "I'm not about to explain my life story to a girl I hardly know though."

Marlene hadn't really been expecting him to pour out his life story and darkest secrets to her. She just wanted him to open up a little. She wanted a chance to break in and see if maybe, just maybe she could show him there was another way. Show him that he didn't have to follow his parents wills. That he was a human with his own free will. That he could do whatever he wanted and be whatever he wanted to be. "I'm not asking you to," she told him. "As far as hardly knowing me... I'm willing to change that. If you are."

_A/N: I thought this was a good place to end this chapter. Here's the big question left here. Will he accept her offer or walk away? What was it that really made him decide to tell her anything when all of her previous efforts had been ignored? Could the two really become friends?_

_Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris._

_Cosette Myriel is credited to my friend Lissa_

_This version of Regulus Black is credited to Karla, the name and character are, of course credited to JK Rowling._


	8. Strike Out

_A/N:After this, I currently have no completed chapters, but I will be trying to keep writing. I'd love to explore how their friendship really comes to be._

_Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality._

_No Reviews_

**Chapter Eight: Strike Out**

Regulus stood there and blinked. That was all he could do. Had she really just suggested that? Had she really had the nerve to suggest that they 'get to know' one another? To become... _friends_? Something he had to admit struck him about her was that she never really seemed to care too much about what people thought of her. He thought this was a sort of strange attribute for a Ravenclaw. He had always heard they were rather shy and insecure. Yet... here was Marlene. She had both the nerve to stand up to him as well as the nerve to suggest he break the mold his parents made for him and befriend her. Yet one thing remained in the back of his mind. _Why? _Why did she even care? No one cared about him and he couldn't get past the fact that she was being nice to him despite the way he treated her. "Why?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. "Why do you think I would want that?"

Marlene bit her lower lip gently and stood up. She wasn't sure she really thought he would want that. Or at least she wasn't sure he _realized_ he wanted that. Could it possibly be that she could read him better than he could read himself? She pondered this a moment and began pacing slowly to see if she could figure out the best thing to tell him. She had yet to actually break through to him, but she had hit a starting spot. This was something he hadn't done before. He may not have told her much, but he told her something. He had started to show the need she had thought to be there. If only she could find a way to show him that need. She finally stopped pacing and turned to face him. "You said the way you act is the only thing you know, right?" she asked him. "That leads me to believe that's what your family does. Forgive me if I say anything wrong, here, but I'm under the impression you don't know what it's like to feel loved. To feel that there's even just one person out there who cares about you and cares what you do."

She wasn't wrong. The question was... how did she know that? Could she read his mind or something? He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze as he considered her words. The didn't know what it was like to feel loved. Sure, his parents said it here and there, but did they _act_ like they loved him? No. Not really. Did they act like they cared? He believed they really would care as long as he did what they wanted him to do, but no one ever really seemed to care what he wanted to do. Not that he really knew what that was. He wasn't given a chance to figure that out. Since no one cared what he wanted to do, he figured it was futile to actually think about it. So he didn't. He glanced back at her and shrugged. He wasn't really ready to admit any of this yet. "My parents love me and they do care about me," he told her defiantly. "So do my friends."

Marlene tilted her head slightly when he said that she was basically wrong. She hadn't meant to offend him and wasn't sure why he was getting so defensive over her words. _Unless... _She thought about his reaction again. She had noticed him shift his position slightly as she watched him. That made her think he was uncomfortable about something. If she was wrong, why would he have done that? Usually people only did that when a person was right on the mark. So how could she convince him to admit that she was right? She honestly didn't blame him for being cautious. He was probably not used to trusting people either. That wasn't his fault. It was honestly beginning to seem to her that his attitude wasn't really his fault either. "Regulus," she started cautiously, "I'm not entirely sure I believe you." She noticed him open his mouth to speak and she raised her hand to silence him as he did her earlier. "Now don't get me wrong. I'm not calling you a liar. You just don't trust me. I don't expect you to. As you pointed out, we barely know one another. I just think... you could do with having someone who actually showed some caring. I'm offering you that care. I'm offering you a chance to get to know me and if you like what you find out about me... possibly the chance to have a friend."

As Marlene raised her hand to silence him, Regulus closed his mouth once more, waiting to give her a chance to finish. He wasn't sure he was going to like what she had to say though. She was already saying she didn't believe him. So he was a liar? Just at that thought she denied ever thinking that. He didn't trust her. Once again she was right on the mark. She didn't expect his trust. Now that was new. Everyone in his life seemed to expect him to trust them. To give them what they want without question. To forget even thinking about what he wanted. Marlene seemed to be offering just what he never had. She was offering him a person who actually cared. She was offering him a person who might actually listen to what he had to say. Could he accept this though? He still didn't know her. She could still be lying. She was a half-blood. His parents would kill him if they even knew he was talking to her here now. His parents would flip if they knew Professor Binns had paired the two of them together for a project. "I can't befriend mudbloods," he told her, "I shouldn't even be talking to you now."

Marlene noticed something in his voice. This wasn't what he wanted, it was what his parents wanted. He couldn't befriend 'mudbloods' as he called her, because he wasn't allowed to. He shouldn't be talking to her now because he wasn't allowed to. How could someone really force their child to live like that? She shook her head slightly as she watched him. If he didn't want to be talking to her now, he wouldn't be. She didn't believe in disrespecting one's parents, but she couldn't be sure what to do in this situation. His parents were obviously far too overbearing. "If that's what _you_ want, I'll leave," she answered finally. "If it's just what your parents want, perhaps you should try taking a look at what you want and get back to me."

Regulus wasn't really sure what to say to that. This girl was standing here before him. She wasn't keeping him there, as a matter of fact, he had brought her there. Now she was offering to leave on his word. All he had to do was tell her to leave and she would. She would do what he wanted. She wasn't going to force anything on him. This was so completely foreign to him. He just wasn't sure what to do. He looked over at the girl as he pondered her words. '_Perhaps you should try taking a look at what you want and get back to me.' _She really seemed concerned about what he wanted right now. What he wanted. He shook his head. "This isn't right," he answered, not really sure what he was saying. "What I want has never mattered to anyone, why should it matter to you?"

Marlene pondered his question. Why should it matter to her? The answer seemed simple to her. What she wanted always mattered to people. Her parents always told her to do what she wanted to do. She told them she wanted to do something with history either magical or muggle and they supported her. If she told them she wanted to do something completely different, she knew they would still support her. Everyone needed that support. He didn't have it and she wanted more than anything to show him what it felt like to have someone supporting you for what you want and not what they wanted. "Because to have someone care about you no matter what you choose in life is an amazing feeling. I want you to see that."

Regulus still couldn't get why she was so completely set on helping him. He wasn't sure he'd ever get it but right now he needed to get away from this room. Away from her and to think about things. He stood up and picked up his things and pushed past her to walk to the door. He turned back to see the shocked and confused look on her face. He wished he could give her more of an explation, but right now he couldn't break his act. He needed to keep it up for now. "I have some things to do," he said with a shrug and turned and walked out the door leaving her in the dark classroom that was now only illuminated by the one wand and a few torches in the corridor.

Not having any reason to remain in the classroom, Marlene picked up her own things and made her way out of the room and up the stairs to the Entrance Hall. She debated going to the lake or her dorm. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to anyone. She had a project due the next day and the most she could do was hope their presentation ran smoothly. If the talk in the dungeon was any sign of how well the presentation would go, though, she wasn't confident. She sighed softly and made her way up the stairs toward Ravenclaw Tower. She just knew that was her last chance of convincing Regulus and she just struck out.

_A/N: Did Marlene really strike out or does she have another chance at making things right. How will their presentation go?_

_Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris._

_Cosette Myriel is credited to my friend Lissa_

_This version of Regulus Black is credited to Karla, the name and character are, of course credited to JK Rowling._


End file.
